Quinter is a nine-year-old only girl who needs surgery to heal her clubfoot. She's in the third grade and likes reading and helping with household chores. Quinter's mother passed away when she was young, and later her father left the family, so Quinter is now under the care of her aunt, who works as a tea picker. Quinter has clubfoot of her left foot. Clubfoot is a condition where the foot is twisted out of shape. This makes it difficult for Quinter to walk or to even wear a shoe on that foot. Fortunately, Quinter traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on June 14th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Quinter's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Quinter will be able to walk well and play with her friends both at school and at home. Quinter’s aunt told us, “My joy is to see Quinter walking well and excelling in life.”

Naw En is a 31-year-old woman who lives with her husband, two sons and parents in a village in Karen State near the border of Burma and Thailand. Her husband and parents are subsistence farmers. Naw En is a village health worker, and her two sons are primary school students in the village. Although she earns around 100,000 kyat (approx. 100 USD) per month to support her family, she does whatever she can to only charge the villagers she treats for medications provided. Those who cannot afford to pay for the cost of medications are provided medication free of charge. Her family also raises chickens and pigs for their family to eat. The income Naw En earns is just enough to cover their daily expenses, but they have to borrow money to pay for anything else, like basic health care. Naw En learned she was pregnant last August 2021. She went to register her pregnancy at nearby Hlaingbwe Hospital, but the doctor told her to go to Hpa-An General Hospital when she told them that she had high blood pressure and previously needed a c-section delivery. When she went to Hpa-An General Hospital, a nurse told her to go to Taw Win Thu Ka Hospital because they were understaffed due to the coup and humanitarian crisis in their area. Finally, she then registered her pregnancy at Taw Win Thu Ka Hospital last November and received an ultrasound, blood test and urine test. The doctor gave her monthly follow-up appointments to check her high blood pressure and to check that her baby is in the right position. In January, Naw En learned that she will have a girl. “I was very happy to hear this as I already have two sons,” she said. Her doctor has now told her that she will need another c-section to ensure a safe delivery and unable to come up with the money needed, Naw En called her friend who works in Mae Sot to ask for help. Her friend told her about our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) and that she may be able to find assistance in accessing her treatment. Currently, Naw En is taking medication for high blood pressure and feels tired when she walks. She can feel her baby kicking. When her blood pressure is high, she feels dizzy. She feels stressed each time she has to travel to the hospital, as it is located four hours from her home and cost 60,000 kyat (approx. 60 USD) just for the round-trip transportation. She is also worried about the cost of her c-section and that they would have to borrow money if they cannot find donors. In the future, she will continue to work as a village health worker. In her free times, she loves to spend time with her two sons and play with them. Naw En said, “I was happy when BCMF staff told me that donors will help pay for my c-section. Thank you so much to the donors for reliving me of my worries.” She also added, “I am very happy and excited to have a baby girl!”

Samath is a 37-year-old monk. His parents are farmers and he has four siblings, all of whom are married. He lives at the pagoda in his province in Cambodia and spends time meditating and reading books about the teachings of Buddha. He loves helping to pass the teachings down to younger monks who spend time at his pagoda. Two years ago, Samath was in an accident and injured his nose. Samath developed nasal polyps, which are noncancerous growths in the lining of the nasal passage. Now he experiences frequent headaches and pain. Because he has difficulty breathing, he often gets lightheaded. He has visited many other medical clinics but his symptoms have not improved. It is difficult for him to breathe and sleep. When he does not sleep well, it is hard for him to meditate and do his work the following day. When Samath learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On March 8th, doctors will perform a nasal polypectomy to remove the polyps. After recovery, he will be able to breathe more easily and now he needs help to fund this $291 procedure. "I hope it will be easier to breathe and meditate after this surgery," he told us.